Apparatus for holding flexible sheets.



N. W. CARKHUFF.

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING FLEXIBLE SHEETS.

APPLIUATION FILED 83191219, 1907.

902,940. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHBET l.

N. W. GARKHUPF.

FDR HOLDING I'LEXIB 45 the chambers.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN W. GARKHUFF, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'lO EASTMAN KODAK (30., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A. UORPORATlON OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING FLEXIBLE SHEETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed September 19, 1907. Serial No. 893,597.

. and State of New York, have invented cer- 5. tain new and useful Im rovements in App?- ratus for Holding Flexi le Sheets; and

hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsilformingt part of the specification, and

to t e referencenumerals marked thereon.

- My present invention relates to devices for holding flexible sheets in such manner as to protect the surfaces thereof from abrasions and other injuries and at the same time to dispose them in a position in which theirsurfaces will be readily accessible for treatment in a fluid or liquid bath and it has for its ob ject to provide a simple and inexpensive de- "vice of this character which can be utilized other processes performed thereon.

A further object of m invention is to provide accommodations or the simultaneous treatment of a plurality of films, each of which may be handled inde endently of the rest and hence, without lia ility of injuring their delicate'sensitized surfaces. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain im rovemcnts and combinations of parts al as will be hereinafter more fully 3 described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a central ver tical section through a liquid-containing re- 4 ceptacle showing a stand or holder embodyingv my inventionin side elevation; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the stand or holder removed, Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a holder showing a modified form and arrangement of Fig. 4 is a erspective view of another modification, an Fig.5 is a side elevation of the modification shown in Fig. 4 inclosed within a receptacle Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

dled under substantially the same conditions,-

as before mentioned, my invention is particularly useful for the purposes of the photographer in developing or fixing hotographic films in a li uid bath, especial y when they come to ham in separate sheets as individual exposures either cut from a continuous strip before development or drawn from a film pack. When these sheets are treated by placing them together, one flat upon an other in a tray of solution, the operator, in handling one or more of them, is apt to scratch or disturb the delicate coatings, which are in a softened state, upon the sur faces of the others and, too, as they lie closely together, a free access of the solution to the surfaces of all is rendered difficult. To obviate these and other disadvantages I provide within a suitable receptacle of sufficicnt de th, a stand or holder having a plurality 0 vertical chambers capable of supporting edgewise and out of contact with each other a number of films or other sheets placed therein in a partially rolled or doubled position and held in lace by theexpansive force of their own e asticity or by contact with the receptacle, the up 781 and lower ends of the chambers being so is osed as to ermit a free circulation of t e chemica or other agent employed and also allow the upper ends of the sheets to project in a manner convenient for efl'ecting their withdrawal.

Referring now to the drawings wherein is shown a practical embodiment of my inven tion A represents generally the stand and B the receptacle which latter is shown to be of proportions which will readily accommodate the stand and at the same time require the minimum quantity of liquid besides meeting other requirements hereinafter pointed out, but it Wlll be understood that other forms, more convenient to the operation for particular applications of the invention may be utilized to advantage, I prefer to construct the stand of a series of tubes 1 which may be formed by bending sheet metal blanks into the bowed forms shown in Fig. 2 with one semi-circular or curved and two straight or plane sides, the edges meetin at.an angle. hey are preferably assemble as shown, in

circular arrangement with their curved sides tubes.

rivets 2 and a circumferential strap or band 3. The said meeting or adjacent edges are secured in any suita le manner to a central core piece 5 provided with radially extending plates 6 forming flan e abutments rejecting within the tubes to isect the ang e of their strai ht sides. Upon one and to render the stan reversible, referably both ends, of each tube is provi ed, a projecting portion 4 whereby the stand as a whole is provided with a plurality of supporting members or legs. At the extremities of these logs ar arranged abutments 7 formed in the presnt instance b turning over a flange thereon.

The 0 ject of the legs is to support the stand with the lower ends of the tubes well above the bottom of the receptacle a space being formed thereby through which the body of liquid may circulate in free communication with all the chambers within the, The latter are referably of a length less than that of the s eet to be treated so that when the sheet C is within a chamber, as shown, with its lower edge resting upon the abutment -7, the upper edge will project above the to of the stand in order that it may be rea ily grasped by the operator. The level of the liquid and consequently the top of the receptacle should be suliieiently high, however, to submerge the entire sheet or film, and an eye 8 is preferably provided on the end of the core iece by which the stand may be convenient y lifted bodily from the rece tacle 6 if desired the films being prevented rom slipping out during the o )eration by the said abutments 7. The sheets being inserted in a rolled position, their adjacent or vertical edges sometimes have a tendency to'curl or be otherwise deflected inwardly a ainst each other. This action results in the case of-photog'raphic films, particularly in allowing the sensitive surfaces to become in some measure scratched and besides the pro er erect position'of the sheet is destroyed. t is therefore the function of the radial abutments 6 to form a solid sup port for the said edges whereby they are in a measure secured in their position with their parts out of contact.

The modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is of much simpler design, the core piece and related parts, as well as the abutments '1 being dispensed with while one end only of each tube is provided with a projecting portion 4 which by alternate arrangement of the tubes in assembling, extend in o )posite directions, whereby the stand is ren ered operative in either of two inverted positions and at the same time necessitating but one form of blank, the alternate tubes being reversed as before mentioned when put together. The sheets need not necessarily rest upon abutments as, if of a materialsuilicicntly still or thick to be not too readily softened by the liquid, their expansive elasticity will be capable of supporting them at any desired elevation by pressure against the side walls of the chambers.

Although I have shown in Fig. 3 tubes of a shapecontributingslightly reatereapacityto the chambers which they orm, I prefer the type I have described and shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 which conform more nearl to the shape naturally assumed by a flexib e sheet when its sides are pinched or doubled, and therefore, expedite its insertion. The chambcrs themselves are in all forms preferably of uniform cross-sectional area with substantially smooth and continuous walls that will not damage the softened sheets by retarding their passage when being inserted or withdrawn.

By the arrangement aflorded through my improvements, each sheet isheld separate and free to be withdrawnindividually without distur ing those rcu a' ing'while completel exposed u on azflea' tii ine of its sides id hi action of t 1e liq id agent-i When'the' device is used for the development of photographic films, the latter are, of course, inserted with their delicately sensitized or coated surfaces innermost where they are perfectly protected insuring perfect chemical action and an unblemished negative.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for holding flexible sheets comprising a stand provided with a plurality of tubular chambers open at both ends and a supporting leg on the stand extending beyond the ends of said chambers.

2. An apparatus for holding flexible sheets comprising a stand provided'with a plurality of tubular chambers open at both ends having continuous walls and of uniform cross sectional area and a supporting leg on the stand projecting beyond the ends of the chambers.

3. An apparatus for holding flexible sheets comprising a substantially circular stand composed of a plurality of tubular units open at both ends having t eir adjacent sides ex tending radially from a common center, means for securing said units together and a supporting leg on the stand extending beyond their on s.

4. An apparatus for supporting flexible sheets embodying a tubular holder, open at both ends and included between a curved and two plane converging walls.

5. In an a paratu's for treating flexible sheets with h uid baths, the combination with a receptac e, of a stand located therein havin a pluralit of tubular chambers open at hot 1 ends an means for supporting said stand with the lower ends of the chambers above the bottom of the receptacle.

6. In an apparatus for treating flexible sheets with 11 uid baths, the combination with a receptac e, of a stand located therein having a plurality of tubular chambers open sheets embodying, a tubular holder lorming a chamber adapted to receive the sheet when in a curled position, the walls of said chamber being continuous and the chamber of uniform cross sectional area.

8. An apparatus for supporting tlexible sheets embodying a tubular holder open at both ends and included between a semi-circular and two plane converging walls formed by a curved sheet of relatively stitl material i having an extension thereon forming a supporting member at one end of the holder.

S). An apparatus for supporting flexible sheets embodying a tubular holder forming a chamber adapted to receive the sbcet when in a curled position and provided with an r abutment projecting Within the chamber to separate the adjacent edges of the sheet.

It]. An apparatus for supporting flexible sheets embodying a tubular holder forming a chamber of uniform cross sectional area adapted to receive the sheet when in a curled position, the walls of said chamber being continuous and a longitudinal]; extending abutment on the holder projecting within the chamber to separate the adjacent edges ol the sheet.

11. An apparatus for holding llexible sheets embodying a tubular holder forming a chamber having two converging walls, and adapted to receive the sheet in a curled position, an abutment being provided on the holder projecting within the chamber at the intersection of the said walls to separate the ends of the sheet.

12. An apparatus for holding flexible sheets ctunprising a substantially circular stand composed of a central core piece surrounded by a plurality of tubular units forming chambers, each chamber having two converging walls. and radially projecting abutments on the core piece extending between the convewin" wa ls of each chamber at l 1":

their point of intersection.

13. An apparatus for sup )orting flexible sheets comprising a tubular holder, open at both ends, forming a chamber of uniform cross sectional area adapted to receive the sheet when in a curled position, a supporting extension on one end of the holder and an abutment on the extension upon which the lower edge of the sheet is ada )ted to rest. ,4

14. In a photographic developing, apparatus, the combination with a liquid receptacle, of a cage fitting therein having a lurality of pockets each adapted to contain a sheet of sensitized material and to retain the latter; in a curled position as distinguished from its normal flat condition.

NORMAN W. oamrnurr. Witnesses:

M. it LAIDLAW, ltussulir, B. GRIFFITH; 

